Nightmare
by Sleepingbadgr
Summary: A mysterious house lies deep in the forest. Rarely do cats stumble upon it. When they do they have two choices, enter it or to walk away, never to come back to it. What mysteries are hidden inside these walls? Only one way to find out...
1. Prologue

_Hi guys! This is my first attempt at writing a professional-like story. I put a lot of time and effort into this so far and I will continue to work on it in the future. I would love some feedback from you guys so I can continue to improve my stories and make them more enjoyable to read. I hope you enjoy!_

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It was a dark and stormy night in the forest. The rain poured down heavily through the leaves, drenching everything for miles around. All the prey had burrowed into their warm nests, waiting the worst of the storm out. A small cat pushed his way through the undergrowth. His dark grey pelt was flattened against his body, exposing his ribs, as he padded aimlessly through the forest in search of shelter for the night.

The cat had been wandering around for what had seemed like hours before he finally stopped. His gaze traveled up and down an abandoned looking twoleg nest '_I doubt this place has been used in moons. Hopefully nothing lives here still_' He thought hopefully as he scented the air. He couldn't scent anything through the rain so he padded up to the rundown house '_This will be a decent place to spend the night. It's better than most other shelters I've had_'. The cat slowly padded through the open door and gazed around the house.

The house wasn't in too bad of condition. The furniture was old, but the strange thing about it is that it looked like it had been recently cleaned. He didn't think much about it at the time as he looked around for a comfortable place to sleep. He spotted a twoleg couch at the end of the room '_Looks comfortable enough_'. He started to head over to it, his tail drooping in exhaustion, when he heard a loud slam behind him. The cat's head whipped around to see what had made the noise. The door that he had entered through was shut. He felt a bit unnerved as he continued further into the house, ditching the idea of spending the night here '_There has to be another way out of here,_' He thought as he padded to the other end of the room. He stopped at the end of the hall and looked around for another door.

He noticed a large door looming in front of him that he hadn't noticed before '_When had that gotten there? This darkness must be playing tricks on me,_' He thought, trying his best to believe that it was true. He pushed roughly on the cracked door and it slowly creaked open enough for him to squeeze through.

This room was less inviting than the others.

There was a faint dripping noise inside and he could scent the much familiar scent of blood 'Cat blood' He thought nervously. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he noticed a body lying limply in the middle of the room. He started to rush over to it to see if the cat was alive or not. When he had nearly reached the cat a weight slammed heavily into his side. His legs collapsed as he struggled against the force, his legs flailing wildly. It felt as if the shadows themselves were pinning him down. He turned his head as much as he could, trying to see what had pinned him down, only to see the cat that looked so dead before had sat up and turned it's head to face him. The demented smile it gave him sent shivers down his spine. He struggled against the force holding him down as the cats dark and unblinking gaze pierced his fur. The cat stood up and began to pad toward him, blood dripping down its face. His fear had enveloped him by this point and he struggled blindly against the weight on top of him until the ground beneath him seemed to melt away and he was left falling into the darkness around him.


	2. A New Beginning

_Hi guys! I finally finished the next chapter to the story. I hope this chapter is better then the last! I am planning on uploading a new chapter every Friday. For now, hope you enjoy this story and hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!_

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Bright, warm sunshine flooded the den as Dawn blinked his tired eyes open. He looked sleepily around the den, which was a small cave just big enough to hold the family. He noticed that his mother and littermates were gone already. He quickly heaved himself to his paws and stretched before padding outside, the warm sunshine washing over his dark bluish-grey pelt. Dawn blinked a couple times, his eyes adjusting to the morning light. He spotted his brother Spark, and his sister Honey play fighting nearby with their mother Snow, gazing at them lovingly, but protectively.

"Hey Dawn's awake!" Spark let out a delighted squeal as he looked at Dawn lumbering out of the den "Come join us!" He called happily as he pulled himself away from his sister.

Dawn padded up to his littermates eagerly "What are you guys playing?" He yawned while his eyes shone with excitement.

"Were playing badger," Spark started before Honey interrupted him.

"I vote Dawn to be it!" She exclaimed, shoving past Spark.

Dawn battered her side lightly "I'm always the badger!"

Spark stepped forward "I'll be it," He told his littermates. Dawn nodded in agreement and watched Spark lumber forward menacingly. He had his fur all fluffed up, making him look a lot bigger and tougher than he actually was. His eyes darted from Dawn to Honey as they prepared their attack. Honey began to crawl towards Spark's side as Dawn headed for his front paws. When Spark took his eyes away from Dawn, he pushed his paws off the ground as he slammed into Spark's paws with Honey attacking from the other side. Together they managed to wrestle Spark to the ground and stood triumphantly over him "Ha! I killed the badger!" Honey laughed "I am the strongest cat ever!".

Dawn gave her a playful shove "I did most of the work," he claimed.

As the kits argued about who was the strongest, Snow purred and padded over to them."You guys seem hungry," She stated when Honey's stomach growled "Want to learn how to catch prey?"

All three of the kits bounced up in excitement "Do you really mean it?" Honey chirped, forgetting her argument with Dawn.

"Of course I mean it. Now come on," she called as she bounded off into the woods, checking every once in a while to make sure her kits weren't too far behind. She found her way easily through the lush undergrowth, stopping occasionally to let the others catch up. Once when there was a large log in the middle of their path she had to stop and help them over it.

When the sun was well over their heads they stopped underneath an old oak tree. Snow gave them a moment to catch their breaths before starting to explain how to hunt "The most useful tool of a hunter is your nose. Tell me what you can smell Dawn."

Dawn closed his eyes and scented the air "I smell," he paused for a moment "mouse!" His tail swung back and forth excitedly as he began to pad forward.

"Not so fast," Honey meowed blocking Dawns path with her tail "You need to know how to properly hunt. Otherwise you wont catch anything. Honey, show me a hunter's crouch." She watched as Honey dropped into a crouch "Keep your tail off the ground. You don't want to alert the prey of your presence. Like this"

After a short while, all three kits had gotten the crouch down. Snow padded up to them "Time to see if you guys can catch something. Don't go too far and when you're done meet back here."

The kits all darted in different directions excitedly. Dawn stopped a short distance away and scented the air. The mouse he had smelled earlier hadn't gone far. He dropped into the crouch he had just learned and silently crept through the thick undergrowth. He spotted the small creature nibbling on some seeds at the bottom of a tree. When he was a few tail lengths away from the mouse, its head jolted up. Dawn realized it had scented him and before it could run back to its hole, he leaped. He snapped its neck quickly and stood up happily, the limp creature hanging from his mouth.

Dawn was about to head back when he spotted something behind a copse. Curiously, he padded past the trees and stopped when he saw what it was. A large twoleg house stood in front of him. The walls of the house were covered with cracks that spread like lightning in the sky. Some plants were clinging to the walls as if claiming it as the forests territory. He padded up to it and was about to head through the open door when the taste of mouse reminded him that he had to go back so they could eat together.

With his back turned to the house, he slowly padded back towards the meeting place. When he arrived the others were already there waiting for him. Honey had returned with a squirrel about twice her size while Spark had caught a small water vole at the river nearby. Honey complimented them on their catches and revealed the finch she had hunted. They all settled down and began to take hungry bites out of their meal. When they had finished they talked about how their first hunt had been. Dawn had left out the part with the twoleg nest from his story.

After a while, Snow pushed herself to her paws "We should head back to the den. It's almost night," She meowed before ushering her kits towards the den. When Dawn entered the den, Snow was already curled up in their nest. She let the kits curl up next to her.

Honey let out a slight yawn "Tell us a story," She asked, her eyelids beginning to droop.

"Alright. I'll tell you how I met your father. I had been a wandering rouge who had been kicked out of every place I had tried to settle. One day I found a nice spot to settle down in a forest far from here. I had began to make a nest in a hole under a large tree when a cat landed on my back, knocking me to the ground. I struggled against the cat, but he managed to keep me pinned to the ground. A few moments later I heard some more cats pad up to me and I started to panic. I could feel the first cats breath as he growled in my ear 'Who are you and why are you on Oakclan territory?' I managed to stammer something and another cat began to speak 'We should take her to see Birchstar.' The other cats agreed and forced me to my paws. I turned around to see the cats and guess who the one who pinned me was?" Snow asked, a purr in her throat.

Spark lifted his head "Our father?"

"Correct. At the time he was the deputy of Birchclan. It was a nice place and the cats of the clan were nice once you got to know them. When they brought me to the camp, a large and muscular tom padded up to me. He said that his name was Birchstar. He asked me the same kinds of questions that i had been asked earlier in the forest. Eventually he offered me a spot in the clan. I was taken aback at the offer and so were the others. I had been happy to accept, knowing I could finally settle down once and for all."

Dawn laid his head down on his paws. He shut his eyes and began to drift off to sleep "What happened then?" He heard Honey ask.

As Snow spoke, Dawn let sleep wash over him and Snow licked the top of his head gently before continuing to speak "Well you would think your father would have been nice to me when I joined, but…."


	3. The Dream

_Hey guys! I finally got this chapter finished. This chapter was harder to write then the others. That's because I tried to fit a small time period into a whole chapter. Overall I think it came out pretty well. Hope you guys enjoy it and I'll appreciate it if you guys leave a comment so I know if you guys like it too!_

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Water rushed down the rocky riverbed as it continued the never ending flow of water. Birds chirped happily while mice, voles, and other creatures enjoyed the beautiful day. Two cats sat on the shore, looking over the scene presented in front of them. They didn't even react when a mouse crawled up to them and scented them before continuing to scurry around for food.

Dawn whisked through the forest towards the river. When the leaves parted, he spotted his littermates at the shore. His legs lifted up and back down again as he ran towards the two cats, calling their names excitedly. The pebbles on the ground flying up around him as he neared them.

Then he stopped.

He blinked a couple of times before calling them again "Spark! Honey!" He slowly took a step forward, uneasiness starting to fill his belly "Guys?" As they turned around, he almost jumped out of his pelt. The faces of the cats he loved had disappeared. He staggered backwards in fear "W-What is going on here?" He asked panic stricken.

Even without mouths they managed to reply to him "Join us."

That was their only reply. As they padded closer to Dawn, still repeating the mysterious words, which seemed to have a deeper meaning then Dawn could make out, he turned around and began to run back into the forest. Leaves and branches whipper across his face as he ran blindly through the forest. He couldn't hear the sounds of pursuit, but the voices still rang throughout his head "Join us."

A small ditch caught Dawn's foot and he collapsed to the ground. He quickly clambered to his paws. Instead of running again, he just sat there dumbfounded as he found himself back, yet again at the abandoned house he had found during his hunt. Bright red eyes peered out of the open doorway and stared directly at him. He stared back at them. The fear that had previously taken its hold on him had been replaced with something he couldn't distinguish. His mind raced as questions appeared out of nowhere and bounced around inside his head. Who was in the house? Why did they seem to be waiting for him? Why did he feel a sensation he couldn't quite place?

All he had was questions. No answers. No hints. Just questions. His heart started to beat faster with each unanswered question. As he continued to stare back at the unblinking eyes, all seemed to go dark around him. The next thing he knew, he was sitting up in his nest, curled up with his littermates. He quietly stood up and headed towards the exit. Right before he took a step outside, a familiar voice called to him "Dawn? Is that you?"

He turned around to face his brother "Yes. Sorry if I woke you," He apologized.

"No worry. I was having trouble sleeping anyway. Same with Honey," He commented as Honey let out a yawn and padded over to them, making sure not to wake Snow.

"Where are you going Dawn?"

"I don't really know. The other day during our hunt something strange was there. I had found an old twoleg house. I didn't think much about it at the time, but it feels like it's summoning me. In my dreams, my thoughts, even right now," He replied, staring into the forest in the direction of the structure.

Spark nodded while Honey just rolled her eyes "Houses don't "summon" you. It's just a house. But I had seen a strange house that I hadn't seen before in my dream. I had been following you guys, trying to talk to you when I found it."

Spark looked thoughtful for a moment "My dream was similar to that. We had been playing, but then you guys disappeared. I went looking for you. The only thing I found was that house. Is this a coincidence?"

"I don't know. Either way, I'm going to check it out," Dawn meowed before taking a couple steps.

His littermates padded after him "Were coming with you."

Honey hesitated "What about Snow?"

Spark looked back at the den, then at Honey "We won't be gone long. Now lets go before she wakes up."

A slight breeze filled the night air as the three of them padded silently, yet quickly into the woods. With Dawn in the lead, they headed in the direction of the house. They didn't say a word during their journey through the forest. Each of them lost in their own thoughts. Eventually the trees parted and they began to slow down. Tall trees surrounded the rickety old house. The three of them stood at the edge of the trees, reluctant to get any closer.

Honey shuffled her paws nervously "This seems close enough. Lets just head back," She tried to persuade them. Dawn shook his head.

"I have to find out what's in that house, whether you're coming or not," He meowed, taking a few tentative steps toward the house. The earlier breeze had disappeared and everything was silent. This unnerved him, but he fought against fear and padded up the staircase. As he stood there, looking through the open door into the darkness that encased the house, he heard a series of pawsteps as Spark and Honey caught up to him.

"This doesn't feel right," Spark muttered uncomfortably.

Dawn gazed back at him "It's just a house. We'll be in and out in a matter of minutes," He tried to reassure the others, but really he was trying to reassure himself. Slowly he took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness of the house.


	4. An Adventurers Nightmare

_Hey guys! It's been a while since I have done anything on this story. For a while I just abandoned this story, but now I am back and continuing to work on it. I spent a good hour writing this chapter and hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. As always, please leave a comment so I know whether you liked this chapter and all criticism is welcome. _

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A small strip of moonlight filled the doorway to the house. Pawsteps filled the house as the three newcomers dared to enter the eerie house. The cold night air seeped into the house and enveloped the house, sending shivers down the cats spines. Hanging from the ceiling and walls was clumps of spiderwebs. Invisible eyes peered through the darkness at them. The ice cold gaze hung to the cats, like glue to a piece of paper.

_It's been forever since we had company. This shall be fun._ A maniacal laugh echoed through the long corridors. The cat slowly padded up to the cats, covered in the darkness. He began to circle the small group. Every once in a while he would stand right next to them, even brushing fur at times. They never paid any attention to him _They don't even know I'm here. To them, I am just a shadow, a figure of the night. All just tales mothers tell their kits. Too bad no one ever believed the tales…_

Dawn looked at the sight that was laid before him, a dusty, yet neat house. His earlier determination to discover what mysteries the house held was quickly dissolved inside the house. He jumped when he felt fur brush his side, but quickly realized it was just his littermates beside him. He continued to pad into the darkness. A chill suddenly went down his spine as he looked around. He was about to head back to the exit and end the adventure when the small bit of moonlight that had filled the house disappeared. It took him a minute to adjust to the darkness, making out the shape of the now closed door that they had entered through. All was still as Dawn listened to the shallow breathing of him and his littermates, a few mice scurrying around on the ground. There was something else, much quieter, but still audible _What is that? _He decided to ignore it and just focus on finding another way out.

He made sure Honey and Spark were following before taking a few tentative steps. After what felt like forever they finally found something other than the straight hallway they had been in. They gazed upwards, following the path of the staircase in front of them.

"We don't want to go up. We need to find a way out, and that wouldn't be up higher," Spark meowed impatiently.

"We don't have much of a choice," Dawn whimpered as he noticed the straight hallway behind them had turned into a dead end.

"Why did I let you talk me into coming!" Honey complained "I told you we shouldn't have left. Look at what it's gotten us into!"

"And you think standing here all day complaining will help? Now lets get moving," Dawn grumbled before climbing up the first couple of steps. He looked back and saw his littermates exchange worried glances before following Dawn. The white wooden railing next to them had been broken at several parts, leaving gaps where cats could easily fall off if they weren't careful. When they reached the top, they were greeted with another hallway, but much different from the first one. the left side was filled with windows, revealing heavy raindrops splattering against the cracked glass. The other side had multiple wooden doors and wool banners with pictures of things unknown to them.

A sudden flash of lightning burst through the dusty air. Honey let out a yelp of fear as the entire hallway was filled with light. The flash only lasted about a second and soon they were back in near pitch black darkness. The faint rumble of thunder echoed throughout the old house. Honey had pressed herself against the wall and stood there, staring into nothing. Dawn and Spark had walked a few steps before realizing she wasn't following "Honey, come on. We need to keep moving," He meowed, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"I can't go any farther. I _won't _go any farther," She meowed, her eyes wide and filled with fear "We never should have come here. Now we're all going to die here,"

"Nonsense!" Dawn began "If we keep moving we'll find a" His voice trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Spark meowed hastily. He was about to speak again when Dawn raised his tail for silence.

"Hear that? It sounds kinda like," Dawn's eyes opened wide in horror "Pawsteps! Something is coming!" A deep growl sounded from the direction of the staircase. Dawn and Spark began to run, but turned around quickly "Honey! Come on! Get over here!" He meowed urgently. Honey was still firmly planted against the wall. She glanced around nervously before breaking into a run towards them. She reached them quickly, but halted again as a loud cracking sound erupted from beneath them. Honey let out a shocked yowl as Dawn shoved her away from him and Spark. As she got to her paws the ground beneath the two toms gave way and they were left falling into the darkness. She let out a whimper of fear as her littermates disappeared, but it was soon inaudible as a loud growl sounded from right behind her.


	5. The Search

Hey guys! The 5th chapter is finally here! I really enjoyed reading your comments. They let me know that I am writing stuff people enjoy. I will continue to update this story whenever I have a chance. As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all criticism is welcome.

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Dust filled the room where the two toms laid, barely conscious. Pieces of the ceiling were scattered around the stone floor, surrounding the cats. Moonlight from the floor above slightly illuminated the dark room. A few startled squeaks sounded from the edge of the room as a family of mice darted around in panic, unsure of what was going on.

A few boards toppled to the ground as Dawn struggled to lift his head up slightly. Despite the darkness that engulfed the room, he could still make out the limp body of Spark on the other side of the room. His heartbeat was beginning to slow down to a normal speed as he tried to push himself to his paws. Pain shot through his entire body and he stopped trying to get up. A painful throbbing emitted throughout his head, causing his vision to grow blurry _I got to get up. Got to find Honey._ He tried as hard as he could to remain conscious as a fog filled his mind, blocking out his thoughts. The room started to sway around him and his eyes couldn't focus on anything. His head went limp as it hit the ground, producing a soft thumping sound. Blackness crept into his vision and he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

When Dawn opened his eyes again the dust that had filled the room had settled. Everything was silent around him. He struggled to his paws, pushing some scraps of wood off of him. Pain filled him as he took a step forward, his front leg collapsing underneath him. He laid still on the ground for a moment. Once again he brought himself to his paws, holding his injured leg off the ground.

Slowly he limped across the room to Spark's side. Fear began to creep into him as he looked at his brothers unmoving body _Is he dead? Please don't be dead!_ When he saw the faint rising and falling of his chest, Dawn relaxed.

He bent down and nuzzled his littermates side lightly "Spark?" he meowed "Spark? Please wake up!" After a few moments he saw Spark begin to stir. Spark sat up, looking around the room and then at Dawn.

"What happened?" He asked, blinking his eyes a few times so he could adjust to the light.

"The floor collapsed where we were standing and we fell," Dawn explained, helping Spark to his paws the best he could.

Realization washed over Spark as he remembered the events that led them here. His eyes clouded with worry as he realized that Honey wasn't with them.

"We should get moving. We need to find Honey. Hopefully she is al-alright," Dawn managed to meow, voicing Spark's worries. Spark looked down to where Dawn was holding his injured leg off the ground.

"You can lean on me if you want," Spark told Dawn. Dawn flashed him a grateful look as he leaned against Spark. Slowly the two of them padded through the broken door which was barely being held up. Outside the room Dawn scented the air _Thats it!_ He thought gratefully as he caught the faint scent of his sister. They followed the scent trail for a while, getting more and more anxious as the scent grew stronger. After a while of walking Dawn's leg was killing him. Spark lead Dawn over to the wall to sit down for a moment.

Dawn sat there for what seemed like an eternity to Spark, but he stayed calm and waited to move on. Dawn fixed his eyes on something on the other side of the room. With Spark's help he reached the spot he was looking at. In front of him stood a large cabinet. Dust covered the weird twoleg objects that sat on it. Splinters stuck out from the side. One of them had a small clump of fur stuck on the edge. With a good sniff of the fur he recognized it as Honey's, but there was another scent laced with it _Honey is in danger!_ He thought, his mind going over the worst possibilities imaginable "We have to find her!" He meowed as he began to head down the hall, almost collapsing on his leg until Spark rushed over to help him.

At the end of the hall stood a large door, open enough for a cat to squeeze through. As fast as they could, the two toms padded up to the door. A slight breeze blew out of the room carrying the strong scent of Honey "She has to be in here. Come on!" He meowed as he entered the room with Spark beside him.

They looked around the room quickly hoping to see their sister standing there. Instead they were faced with a small room filled with twoleg junk and what looked like a large nest supported by small wooden squares underneath it. Again and again he looked around trying to find Honey _She has to be here! There is nowhere else she could have gone!_

Spark licked Dawn's head comfortingly "Come on. Lets go search for…" His voice trailed off as a movement at the edge of his vision caught his eye. He let out a sigh of relief as he made out the small frame of his sister padding toward them.

Dawn ran up to her and covered her with licks "We were so worried about you! What happened? Are you hurt?" He blurted out a bunch of questions. Spark nudged Dawn away from their littermate.

"Give her some space," He meowed as he trained his gaze on his sister "Good to see you're alright." Movement behind her startled him for a moment. When he made out the shape of a larger cat he slid out his claws and prepared to pounce.

Honey jumped in front of him "Stop! He is with me," She told them quickly. She beckoned the cat forward with a flick of her tail "This is Nettleclaw. H-He saved my life."


	6. Monster

_Hey guys! I meant to upload this chapter sooner, but the site was having problems. It wouldn't let me make a document of this chapter like I usually did and when I finally found a way to get it up it deleted the quotation marks, punctuation marks and some of the words I had written. I fixed as much of it as I could find, but there might be a couple of things still missing that I missed. As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment. Any criticism is welcome._

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The tension in the room had begun to die down as the cats sat in a group. Light seeped through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating the group of cats. They could clearly see their new companion in the light. He was a large muscular tom with a striped brown pelt, his ribs clearly visible underneath his pelt. His eyes were a deep icy blue, reminding Dawn of when he and his littermates would take trips to a river nearby their den. Dawn looked curiously at the tom _I wonder what his story is?_

Honey's words cut into his thoughts "When you guys fell into the hole I was scared out of my mind. Being left there all alone with whatever that creature was behind me. I thought I was finished, right there and then. That I would never see you guys again, or Snow," She paused and took a deep breath, shaking as she forced herself to relive that moment. Spark leaned against Honey, trying to comfort her. She blinked gratefully at Spark before continuing on "That was until I felt something shove into my side. I didn't even have time to think before I was being herded down a narrow passage in the wall, that creature growling in frustration behind me."

"Soon the tunnel opened up into another room and I collapsed onto the ground shaking in fear. I felt someone lie down next to me, and I got even more scared then I was before, but there was something about the way they were laying next to me that made me think they were trying to protect me. It reminded me of how Snow slept with us, always next to the exit in case something came and tried to attack. I relaxed and it was only a matter of moments before I was in an uneasy sleep."

"I had laid there with her until she woke up," Nettleclaw chimed in "When you guys were in the hall, I had been sitting in a pile of rubble. I saw you guys fall along with a good chunk of the floor. I saw that she was left alone with that monster and knew I had to help. I couldn t just sit idly and watch a cat, especially a kit, be torn to shreds. I ran out of the rubble and shoved her down the passageway into the room. When I had gotten in there she was on the ground in a panic, so I laid next to her. It felt like an eternity before she woke up again," He told the group, his paws tucked comfortably underneath him.

"When I woke up and saw him next to me I jumped up and took a few steps back. I knew he didn't want to hurt me, or he would have done it while I was asleep. I stared at him for a moment wondering who he was. He introduced himself and said that he had witnessed what happened in the hall."

Honey stopped talking and just sat there. Nettleclaw decided to go on with the story "We had spent a little while just talking. I could see she was still scared of the situation, as would anyone in her position, so I tried to comfort her. After a short while she told me we had to find you guys and make sure you were alright, so we set out on our search. We had spent a while just wandering through the empty halls and rooms, trying to find any sign of you guys. When we heard loud footsteps somewhere nearby, we took shelter in this room. That's when you two came in and found us."

"I had never been so happy to see you guys in my entire life," Honey meowed, ending the story.

"Were happy to see you too," Spark meowed "We didn t know what we would have done i-if" His voice trailed off.

Honey nodded in understanding.

After a moments pause, Dawn turned his attention to Nettleclaw, his eyes filled with curiosity "How did you end up in this place?" Nettleclaw closed his eyes for a moment and Dawn thought he had asked something he shouldn t have asked "I-Im sorry," He meowed quickly.

"No. It s fine. I was just thinking," Nettleclaw explained "It was a long time ago. I was young and troublesome back then. Always putting my paws in places they shouldn t have been. I had recently become an apprentice of Twilightclan." When he saw the confused expressions on the kits faces he quickly explained "Twilightclan is a group of cats that live in a forest about a quarter of a days travel upstream. They follow a code and help each other survive. Anyways back to the story. The sun was beginning to set and I was out by myself hunting. I had spotted a rabbit near the river, which was rare in those parts, especially one that plump so I tried to catch it. It noticed me and ran so I gave chase to it. When I had finally caught it I realized it was getting late. I began to retrace my steps when it started downpouring. I trudged a good while through the trees when I spotted this broken down twoleg nest. I decided to shelter in it for the night and I have been here ever since," He finished, as he started to groom his pelt.

Dawn let out a yawn and rested his head on his paws. Nettleclaw glanced over at him "We should get some rest. We'll need to keep our energy up if we want to get out of here alive." With that he laid his head down and closed his eyes. Dawn knew he was right and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to wash over him.

Dawn's dreams were filled with dark visions. Red eyes watching him from the shadows, deep growls echoing throughout the air. He let out a whimper of fear as he saw a dark figure, a cat, walking out of the shadows towards him. A maniacal look glued to its face. Everything started to shake around him and he was pulled back to consciousness.

Dawn blinked open his eyes to see Spark standing over him "Wake up! We have to go, now!" He meowed in a panic.

Struggling to sit up Dawn looked around "What s going on?"

Nettleclaw came up to his side and nudged him to his paws "That creature from the hall, it found us!" He ran over to a pile of boxes by the door and hid there "Get over here!"

Dawn saw that Honey was already in the hiding spot. He began to limp over to it, Spark at his side supporting him. Shortly after they all were hidden a creaking noise emitted from the doorway as a large creature burst into the room, its nose held high as it scented the air. The creature had a completely black pelt and dark red eyes. It had long claws on its paws and razor sharp teeth. It let out a deep growl as it picked up fresh cat scent. With its gaze darting around the room it tried to narrow down the location of its prey. Dawn was beginning to whimper, but Nettleclaw put his tail to his muzzle to silence him.

The creature had gotten to the middle of the room, facing away from the door. Nettleclaw signaled the kits to follow him as he padded silently towards the door. When he made sure they were all with him he took a few steps down the hall. A noise behind them made Nettleclaw turn around. The creature was staring right at them, letting out a growl of satisfaction. Nettleclaw shoved the kits forward as he yowled "Run!"


	7. Hope

_Hey guys! Finally got this chapter uploaded. I meant to upload it sooner, but I have been busy lately and truth be told it kinda slipped my mind. I am planning on having one more short chapter after this so stay tuned in for that. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment! All criticism is welcome._

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"That thing doesn't give up, does it?" Nettleclaw muttered under his breath, his heart beat beginning to revert to normal. He looked down at the kits who clung to him like burs, their eyes wide and filled with terror. He leaned down and licked their heads comfortingly "It's alright. It can't get us in here."

His thoughts drifted back to their most recent encounter with the horrid beast. They had almost made a clean getaway, but as it always goes in this cursed place, their luck did not hold up. The shadowy beast had noticed them as they were sneaking away. He had shoved the kits forward and made sure they stayed with him. They had raced down the corridor as fast as they could, rounding the corner right before it caught up to them. It wasn't ready for the sharp turn and slammed into the wall. The beast had been stunned for a few seconds, allowing Nettleclaw and the kits to get a good distance away.

Nettleclaw had felt relief, but it didn't last long as the beast was right on their paws again. It's acrid breath filling up the corridors as they ran. _It's going to catch us at this rate!_ He thought in a panic. Up ahead he spotted a bookcase with a pile of rubble next to it, looming high off the ground. Right next to it was a vent entrance. _If I could buy some time, the kits could get up there to safety. _A thought crept into his mind and even though he didn't like the plan, he had no choice.

He looked over at the kits "Listen to me. See that vent up their? When we get close you need to climb up the pile of rubble up to the top and into the vent. I'll buy you some time," he meowed in between breaths. The kits began to protest, but he cut them off "Just go!".

With his fur sticking on end, he forced himself to turn around and run towards the beast. He had stayed close to the wall so the beast would get closer to it as well. The beast let out a blood curdling growl as it neared it's prey. At the last second he had lunged to the side, barely avoiding it's razor sharp teeth.

He turned around again and stared past the beast to where the kits were climbing into the vent _Atleast they made it_ He thought _Now if I can make it there._ His paws drummed on the wooden floor as he charged past the beast. It gazed at him for a moment before giving chase again. He reached the bottom of the rubble pile. With a couple leaps he grabbed onto the top with his front paws.

Pain shot through his entire body as teeth closed around the base of his tail. Scrabbling to keep his grip, he tried to kick the beast with his back paws. A piece of rubble slipped off the pile and hit the beast in the face. It's grip loosened enough for Nettleclaw to pull himself up and escape a brutal demise. He quickly joined the kits inside the vent.

A whimper from Dawn brought him back to the present. His tail was still bleeding, but it was nothing serious. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself when a barely familiar scent reached his nose _The forest! This must lead to the outside!_ Hope flared in his chest as he looked into the darkness. He didn't know how far it was to freedom, but he could feel it was close "Come on," he sighed with relief. With the kits close to his side, still shaking, he made his way farther into the darkness.

Loud footsteps emanated throughout the old rickety house. Red eyes pierced through the unrelenting darkness scanning the room carefully. The creature padded slowly to the center of the room. A growl of satisfaction escaped it's throat _Think you can leave this place, eh? Think you outsmarted me?_ It's claws extended as it let out another growl, it's tail flicking in amusement _You're wrong_. His gaze traveled upwards and stopped when he spotted what he was looking for. Not too far above his head was a small and shiny vent.

"How much further?" Dawn asked in a whimper. They had been wandering nonstop through the vents for a while, hoping that around every corner that they would see the forest they had left behind. A slight breeze flowed through the air, carrying the scent of a prey filled forest.

Nettleclaw looked down at the kits, determination in his eyes. He scented the air quickly before responding "Not much further." His eyes were met with a set of eyes filled with uncertainty "Scent the air. You'll know how close we are to getting out," He meowed in response as he continued along the narrow passage. Dawn scented the air and a flurry of scents hit him, reminding him of home. There was a short silence until Dawn asked Nettleclaw "Where will you go when we get out?"

"Back to my clan. I called it home back then. I call it home now," Nettleclaw replied, memories of his life in the clan flooding back into his head "You guys and Snow are all welcome to come with…" His voice was cut off as claws pierced the vent floor beneath them, a loud metallic sound emanating throughout the vents. The kits screeched in fear as red eyes glared at them through the hole.

They began to run as another hole opened up beneath them. Honey let out a yowl as she tried to grip onto the slippery surface of the vent "Help me! I don't want to die!" She let out another shriek as she lost her grip and was left falling. Teeth met in her scruff, keeping her from falling towards the waiting teeth.

"I got you," Nettleclaw mumbled around the mouthful of fur. Honey stopped flailing her paws as she was slowly lifted back up onto solid ground. He nudged her away from the hole and was about to herd the kits further down the vent until another hole opened up beneath him. He let out a yowl of fear and shock as he fell to where sharp claws and teeth were waiting to tear him to shreds.

"Nettleclaw!" Dawn screeched as he watched their companion fall into the darkness. Pained yowls sounded from the hole, making the kits shake in fear and disbelief. Pain filled Dawn's eyes "H-He's g-gone," he stammered.

After a few moments the yowls died down and Spark nudged Dawn in the side "We have to go or we w-will join him," he stammered.

Dawn nodded and began to hurry further down the vent. The scent that Nettleclaw had been following was getting stronger by the second and it was only a matter of moments before they spotted the end of the tunnel. Bright light shined in through a large gaping hole in the vent wall, exposing large trees and thick undergrowth. Dawn looked out the hole in disbelief and slowly, but surely, made his way down to the grass. He blinked his eyes a couple times to adjust to the light. He felt his littermates pelts brush against his side.

"W-we made it. We escaped," Honey meowed, glad that the nightmare they had suffered was finally at an end. Spark tried to speak, but nothing came out. He was as shocked as everyone else at what had happened. "N-Nettleclaw should be with us," Dawn sighed sadly as he took a tentative step forward, unsure if he would meet darkness where he set his paws and find themselves be still trapped inside, but all he felt was solid ground. Solid grass covered ground. Trees towered over them as Dawn began to walk steadily into the forest, his littermates trailing behind, leaving the nightmare behind them.


	8. Epilouge

_Hey guys! __This is the final chapter of Nightmare. I planned on uploading this a few weeks ago, but the last few weeks have been horrible for me. Yet I still worked hard on this and I hope you enjoy. As always I hope you enjoy the final chapter and all criticism is welcome._

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"I was just starting to enjoy your company," said a deep voice from within the blackness "I never get enough company here. Well, besides you". The speaker took a few step out of the darkness, a bit of light seeping through the ceiling, illuminating it's body. A dark glow emanated off of it, making it look like darkness itself. It's bright red gaze piercing through the darkness, trained on the motionless body on the floor "What a shame," it growled, padding toward the body. Unsheathing it's claws, it placed it's paw on the cats chest. The cat let out a slight groan "Can't even handle a little fun, eh Nettleclaw?"

Nettleclaw let out a pained hiss, a trickle of blood running down his face.

"Not going to say anything? How rude," The creature let out a slight chuckle, a deranged smile glued to it's face. "Remember all those years ago when we first met? Of course you do. Who could forget? You were in the same predicament, helpless at my paws". It let out a growl and thrust it's muzzle into Nettleclaw's face "The only difference is that this time you won't survive."

Nettleclaw let out an agonized yowl as sharp claws dug into his flank. "I may meet my end here, but atleast I made a difference," he coughed, blood splattering onto the floor. With tremendous effort, he lifted his head up slightly and glared at the beast on top of him.

"Ha ha ha, like you helping three pathetic kits makes a difference". Nettleclaw opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Filled with horror, his eyes opened wide as he gasped for air. Blackness began to creep into the edges of his vision. He coughed up a bit of blood onto the ground. _This is it. I finally met my demise. _He could barely manage to keep his eyes open as his head dropped to the ground. Everything around him began to fade into nothing and merge with the darkness that filled his vision. _I guess it was bound to happen one day._ His thoughts were racing through his head. As everything around him began to fade, he could hear the faint, evil laugh of the demented beast who had just ended his life. Then everything went dark.

After what felt like an eternity he felt something. It felt strange to him, like he was still alive. Yet when he tried to look around he couldn't see anything. No matter where he looked he couldn't see anything. He started to panic, unsure of what was happening. Suddenly a bright flash of light lit up his vision. His eyes, unused to the light, blinked a couple times trying to adjust. As he laid there, trying to figure out where he was, he noticed something laying next to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but a familiar voice spoke first "It's been far too long my sweet Nettleclaw". Nettleclaw's eyes opened wide as he recognized who it was "S-Sparkledust? I-Is that really you?"

"Yes it is," Sparkledust replied, resting her head on Nettleclaw's "You don't know how long I have missed you, my son".

"I-I don't understand. Where…" He stammered, but was abruptly interrupted.

"Of course you understand. You have finally come to join me up here in StarClan." Speckledust meowed.

Nettleclaw gazed around where they lay. He could see that there was a waterfall nearby, splashing down into a small river, filled with fish. In the distance there was a large forest, resembling the place where he had used to live, the trees towering over the cats. He could see other cats strolling about around them. Some sitting by the river, a pile of fish laying next to them. A group of what looked like apprentices were play fighting not far from them. A few of the cats came over to greet the newcomer. Some were familiar faces, others were strangers.

Speckledust stood up slowly and padded in front of Nettleclaw. She was small for her age and had a white and orange pelt. She gazed back at him with her bright green eyes "Come along, there is much we have to catch up on". With that she turned toward the forest and darted off, leaving Nettleclaw where he lay. He quickly stood up and raced after his mother, glad to have finally escaped the nightmare he had been trapped in for more moons than he could count.


End file.
